Can someone employed by funding received through AIM Level 7 apply to the LINC Programme?

A manager may nominate any employee to participate in the LINC Programme once their qualification means the minimum requirements to work in an Early Years setting. It should be noted, however, that in order for the service to get the additional capitation after LINC, the graduate must continue to be employed, and to be appointed as an INCO (INclusion COordinator). Managers, therefore, would need to consider what would happen if they were no longer in receipt of Level 7 funding, and therefore were not continuing to employ the person funded under AIM. Most services, therefore, should consider nominating a permanent employee to complete LINC so they can benefit from this capitation on an ongoing basis. As a side note: under AIM, where the other supports are not sufficient to meet the needs of the child, pre-school providers, in partnership with parents, can apply for additional capitation to fund extra support in the classroom or to enable the reduction of the staff to child ratio. Where the ratio is being reduced, there is not meant to be any difference between any of the Early Years' Teacher(s) (practitioners/educators) in the same room in terms of job description - they are not meant to be specifically working with individual children but with all children within the room. Therefore, there is no advantage to selecting someone funded under AIM Level 7 to do LINC, while, in fact, as the LINC Graduate becomes the INCO, it may be of more use that a permanent employee who will lead inclusion across the setting would complete LINC. Further information on the Level 7 supports is available at: http://aim.gov.ie/faqs/#d

Supporting Children’s Social and Emotional Development – Preview of Package 3 of LINC+

In this edition of the LINC blog, CPD tutor Claire Butterly outlines what is in store for participants of package three of the LINC+ CPD Programme – Supporting Children’s Social and Emotional Development.

Hi everyone, I just wanted to formally introduce myself. My name is Claire Butterly and I have been one of the tutors on the LINC Programme since it began in 2016. I am delighted to be moving to the LINC+ CPD Programme. Some of you may already know my from my previous role, but I look forward to meeting you all in the tutor facilitated Community of Practice sessions.

Ann Donnellan and Linda Madden, who are existing tutors on the LINC Programme and I have been working on developing the content for Package 3. Within this blog, I wanted to give an overview of Package 3, as we are very excited about the content we have created on a topic we know and love.

The overall goal of this package is to explore different ways to support children’s social and emotional development through examining theories, concepts and strategies, how behaviour can be understood through the lens of communication and creating environments that support social and emotional development.

Within this package participants will consider the importance of social and emotional development and how this influences children’s holistic development. As 90% of brain development occurs by the age of three (Winter 2010) we will share activities and strategies for supporting this area of children’s development and discuss how they foster social and emotional skills.

We will also look at the importance of the environment, both indoors and outdoors and how this can support the child’s social and emotional development. We explore Universal Design and support you to reflect on your environments in line with the Aistear Síolta Practice Guide, the Quality and Regulatory Framework and Department of Education Early Years Inspection Tool.

We will explore the term “nature pedagogy” and how being in nature can support children’s social and emotional development. Three of the tutors from the LINC Programme, Carole Dee, Karina Abbott and Linda Madden have come together on a podcast to discuss their experiences of nature pedagogy. Within the podcast they discuss what nature pedagogy means to them, some of their experiences as Early Childhood Teachers of being in nature and advice on how participants can start to embed a pedagogy of nature into practice.

If you intend to engage with Package 3, Ann, Linda and I look forward to hearing your feedback on the content that we have created for you, and we hope that you enjoy the content as much as we have researching and creating it.

If you are not yet a participant of the LINC+ CPD Programme, Package 1 of the programme, Communities of Practice in Early Learning and Care is currently accepting applications from graduates of the LINC Level 6 Programme. For more information see: www.lincprogramme.ie/cpd-for-incos.

Reference

Winter, P. (2010). Engaging Families in the Early Childhood Development Story: Neuroscience and Early Childhood Development: Summary of Selected Literature and Key Messages for Parenting. Carlton South, Victoria: Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs, http://www.educationcouncil.edu.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/Reports%20and%20publications/Publications/Early%20childhood%20education/Engaging%20Families%20in%20the%20ECD%20Story-Neuroscience%20and%20ECD.pdf

Claire Butterly

LINC+ CPD Tutor

Claire Butterly is currently a PhD candidate in Mary Immaculate College. Claire has graduated with a HDip in Mentoring, Management and Leadership in the Early Years from Dublin Institute of Technology, and a MA in Child, Youth and Family Studies and a BA in Early Childhood Education and Care, both from the Institute of Technology, Carlow, as well as completing a number of other training courses over the years. Claire has been employed with the LINC programme since it began in 2016 as a programme tutor and a content developer and has recently taken up the position of LINC+ CPD Programme tutor. Before joining the LINC team, Claire worked as an Early Years Quality Mentor with an Area Based Childhood site in Bray. Claire supported the community services in developing their Curriculum Statements and in developing and piloting a Transitions from preschool to primary school programme. Claire has tutored level 5-8’s for a variety of different companies and institutes, as well as working directly with children in a variety of early years settings. Claire has a keen interest in the development and upskilling of the Early Years Sector.

Sustainable Education In The Early Years

Sustainable Education in the Early Years In this edition of the LINC Blog, Siobhán Browne, LINC+ CPD Programme Participant and Manager at Jigsaw Day Nursery, discusses how she incorporates sustainable education into daily practices at her setting. She explains how...

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

The Importance of Playful Experiences in the Early Years

The Importance of Playful Experiences in the Early Years In this edition of the LINC Blog, Fiona Kirkland, Play Pedagogy Officer at Play Scotland, emphasises the transformative impact of play on early childhood development. Drawing from her extensive...

Next Entries »

Children Should be Seen and Heard: The Importance of Child Voice and Participation

Children Should be Seen and Heard : The Importance of Child Voice and Participation In this edition of the LINC Blog, Dr. Linda Kelly explores the critical importance of child voice and participation in early childhood settings. Highlighting key insights from...

Next Entries »

Supporting Children’s Social and Emotional Development – Preview of Package 3 of LINC+

Reference

Claire Butterly

You may also like:

Sustainable Education In The Early Years

The Importance of Playful Experiences in the Early Years

Children Should be Seen and Heard: The Importance of Child Voice and Participation